No. 1 Wartburg mounts 19-14 comeback over No. 2 Augsburg in Battle of the Burgs in Waverly
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Action image courtesy of GoKnights.net
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: 2020 Battle of the Burgs
WARTBURG PRESS RELEASE
WAVERLY, Iowa - The No. 1-ranked Wartburg wrestling team earned a 19-14 comeback victory over No. 2 Augsburg University Thursday evening at Levick Arena in the Annual "Battle of the Burgs" dual match.
Down 14-3 after the fifth bout, the Orange & Black closed out second half with victories, capped off by a Brady Fritz 3-2 decision over the Auggies' David Flynn to seal the five-point triumph.
"I wanted the guys to understand that the score doesn't mean anything at that point," said head coach Eric Keller regarding his message to the team during the intermission following an Augsburg win at 184 lbs. "The only thing that mattered was the very next match. A lot of times these duals are back-and forth which carries its own emotions, but to be in that type of deficit and come back the way we did, that was special."
Trailing by nine points, five-straight wins by Kobe Woods, Jordon Brandon, Brady Kyner, Kris Rumph, and Fritz guided the Knights to victory. A 12-4 major decision from Kyner put Wartburg in just a one-point deficit at 14-13 prior to Rumph and Fritz decisions.
Up Next
Wartburg, now 16-0 overall, hosts American Rivers Conference rival Loras College next Friday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. inside Levick Arena to conclude regular season action.
No. 1 Wartburg 19, No. 2 Augsburg 14
149 -- #3 Aaron Wilson (AUG) over Nick Meling (WAR) DEC 8-3
157 -- #2 Ryan Epps (AUG) over Martine Sandoval (WAR) TF 15-0
165 -- #6 Max Forsyth (WAR) over Moses Madimba (AUG) DEC 1-0
174 -- #5 Solomon Nielsen (AUG) over Paul Calo (WAR) DEC 6-2
184 -- #1 Tanner Vassar (AUG) over #2 Kyle Briggs (WAR) DEC 3-1
197 -- #4 Kobe Woods (WAR) over Wyatt Richardson (AUG) DEC 8-2
HWT -- #9 Jordon Brandon (WAR) over Tyler Kim (AUG) DEC 3-2
125 -- #8 Brady Kyner (WAR) over Justin Stauffacher (AUG) MD 12-4
133 -- #1 Kris Rumph (WAR) over #2 Victor Gliva (AUG) DEC 8-6
141 -- #4 Brady Fritz (WAR) over #5 David Flynn (AUG) DEC 3-2
*Match started at 149
AUGSBURG PRESS RELEASE
WAVERLY, Iowa -- Winning the final five bouts of the dual after No. 2-ranked Augsburg University had taken a 14-3 lead, top-ranked Wartburg College claimed a 19-14 victory in the annual "Battle of the Burgs" matchup between the two NCAA Division III men's wrestling powerhouses on Thursday evening at Wartburg's Levick Arena.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Wartburg (Iowa) 19, Augsburg (Minn.) 14
LOCATION: Levick Arena, Waverly, Iowa
RECORDS: Augsburg 6-2 overall, Wartburg 16-0 overall
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg built a 14-3 lead in the first half of the dual, winning four of the first five bouts. But Wartburg rallied after the halftime break, scoring five straight victories to win the dual, including matchups of ranked wrestlers in the final two bouts.
• Two-time defending NCAA Division III national champion Ryan Epps (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls HS), ranked No. 2 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association national rankings at 157 pounds, scored an impressive 15-0, third-period technical fall over Wartburg's Martine Sandoval, his second bonus-point win over Sandoval this season. Epps claimed three takedowns and a pair of four-point near-falls to end the match early, improving to 23-1 on the season and 136-12 in his Auggie career. Epps has 15 bonus-point wins this season (11 pins, four technical falls).
• No. 3-ranked 149-pounder Aaron Wilson (SR, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS) continued his dominant season, improving to 23-1 overall with an 8-3 win over Wartburg's Nick Meling to open the dual. Wilson built a 7-0 lead on two takedowns, a two-point near-fall and an escape, also claiming the riding-time point. Wilson is now 94-30 in his Augsburg career.
• At 174, Augsburg's No. 5-ranked Solomon Nielsen (JR, Luverne, Minn./Luverne HS), scored two takedowns in the first period and built a 5-1 lead after two periods, scoring a 6-2 victory over Paul Calo. Nielsen is now 17-2 on the season, and has won 11 of his last 12 bouts.
• Top-ranked 184-pounder Tanner Vassar (SR, Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) remained unbeaten in one of the most dramatic matches of the night, taking on No. 2-ranked Kyle Briggs of Wartburg. Vassar scored his second win of the season over Briggs, improving to 22-0 with a 3-1 victory. Trailing 1-0 after two periods, Vassar scored an escape with 1:38 left in the bout, then claimed a takedown with 1:06 left. The two losses to Vassar are Briggs' only losses of the year, as he fell to 20-2.
• Auggie reserve wrestlers kept the lead alive as the second half of the match began by holding Wartburg wrestlers to decisions -- Moses Madimba (FY, Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids HS) was edged 1-0 by Wartburg's No. 6-ranked Max Forsyth at 165, and Wyatt Richardson (SR, Grand Meadow, Minn./Grand Meadow HS) dropped an 8-2 decision to Wartburg's No. 4-ranked Kobe Woods at 197.
• Heavweight Tyler Kim (FY, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) was edged 3-2 by Wartburg's No. 9-ranked Jordan Brandon, and 125-pounder Justin Stauffacher (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Belle Plaine HS (Scott West)) dropped a 12-4 major decision to Wartburg's No. 8-ranked Brady Kyner at 125, setting the stage for the final two dramatic bouts of the match.
• At 133, Wartburg's top-ranked Kristian Rumph claimed his second win of the season over Augsburg's No. 2-ranked Victor Gliva (SR, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS), holding off a third-period rally by Gliva in an 8-6 win. Trailing 5-1 after two periods, Gliva scored an escape and a takedown to cut the advantage to 5-4 with 1:18 left, but Rumph scored an escape and a takedown with 41 seconds left, then held on following a Gliva escape and a stalling point in the closing seconds. Gliva is now 19-4 on the season.
• In the final bout of the night, No. 4-ranked Brady Fritz of Wartburg gained his second win of the year over Augsburg's No. 5-ranked David Flynn (SR, Jordan, Minn./Jordan HS (Scott West)), a 3-2 decision, with a Fritz takedown with a minute left in the third period proving to be the difference.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Wartburg now leads the all-time series with Augsburg 22-16, with wins in the last three meetings.
• The annual "Battle of the Burgs" dual meet features the two teams that have dominated Division III wrestling over the last three decades. Since 1995, every Division III national title has rested at either Augsburg or Wartburg, with defending national champion Augsburg winning 13 titles since 1991 and Wartburg winning 14 titles since 1996..
UP NEXT
• Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (2/8) at 10 a.m., competing at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Don Parker Open.
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: 2020 Battle of the Burgs
WARTBURG PRESS RELEASE
WAVERLY, Iowa - The No. 1-ranked Wartburg wrestling team earned a 19-14 comeback victory over No. 2 Augsburg University Thursday evening at Levick Arena in the Annual "Battle of the Burgs" dual match.
Down 14-3 after the fifth bout, the Orange & Black closed out second half with victories, capped off by a Brady Fritz 3-2 decision over the Auggies' David Flynn to seal the five-point triumph.
"I wanted the guys to understand that the score doesn't mean anything at that point," said head coach Eric Keller regarding his message to the team during the intermission following an Augsburg win at 184 lbs. "The only thing that mattered was the very next match. A lot of times these duals are back-and forth which carries its own emotions, but to be in that type of deficit and come back the way we did, that was special."
Trailing by nine points, five-straight wins by Kobe Woods, Jordon Brandon, Brady Kyner, Kris Rumph, and Fritz guided the Knights to victory. A 12-4 major decision from Kyner put Wartburg in just a one-point deficit at 14-13 prior to Rumph and Fritz decisions.
Up Next
Wartburg, now 16-0 overall, hosts American Rivers Conference rival Loras College next Friday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. inside Levick Arena to conclude regular season action.
No. 1 Wartburg 19, No. 2 Augsburg 14
149 -- #3 Aaron Wilson (AUG) over Nick Meling (WAR) DEC 8-3
157 -- #2 Ryan Epps (AUG) over Martine Sandoval (WAR) TF 15-0
165 -- #6 Max Forsyth (WAR) over Moses Madimba (AUG) DEC 1-0
174 -- #5 Solomon Nielsen (AUG) over Paul Calo (WAR) DEC 6-2
184 -- #1 Tanner Vassar (AUG) over #2 Kyle Briggs (WAR) DEC 3-1
197 -- #4 Kobe Woods (WAR) over Wyatt Richardson (AUG) DEC 8-2
HWT -- #9 Jordon Brandon (WAR) over Tyler Kim (AUG) DEC 3-2
125 -- #8 Brady Kyner (WAR) over Justin Stauffacher (AUG) MD 12-4
133 -- #1 Kris Rumph (WAR) over #2 Victor Gliva (AUG) DEC 8-6
141 -- #4 Brady Fritz (WAR) over #5 David Flynn (AUG) DEC 3-2
*Match started at 149
AUGSBURG PRESS RELEASE
WAVERLY, Iowa -- Winning the final five bouts of the dual after No. 2-ranked Augsburg University had taken a 14-3 lead, top-ranked Wartburg College claimed a 19-14 victory in the annual "Battle of the Burgs" matchup between the two NCAA Division III men's wrestling powerhouses on Thursday evening at Wartburg's Levick Arena.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Wartburg (Iowa) 19, Augsburg (Minn.) 14
LOCATION: Levick Arena, Waverly, Iowa
RECORDS: Augsburg 6-2 overall, Wartburg 16-0 overall
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg built a 14-3 lead in the first half of the dual, winning four of the first five bouts. But Wartburg rallied after the halftime break, scoring five straight victories to win the dual, including matchups of ranked wrestlers in the final two bouts.
• Two-time defending NCAA Division III national champion Ryan Epps (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls HS), ranked No. 2 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association national rankings at 157 pounds, scored an impressive 15-0, third-period technical fall over Wartburg's Martine Sandoval, his second bonus-point win over Sandoval this season. Epps claimed three takedowns and a pair of four-point near-falls to end the match early, improving to 23-1 on the season and 136-12 in his Auggie career. Epps has 15 bonus-point wins this season (11 pins, four technical falls).
• No. 3-ranked 149-pounder Aaron Wilson (SR, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS) continued his dominant season, improving to 23-1 overall with an 8-3 win over Wartburg's Nick Meling to open the dual. Wilson built a 7-0 lead on two takedowns, a two-point near-fall and an escape, also claiming the riding-time point. Wilson is now 94-30 in his Augsburg career.
• At 174, Augsburg's No. 5-ranked Solomon Nielsen (JR, Luverne, Minn./Luverne HS), scored two takedowns in the first period and built a 5-1 lead after two periods, scoring a 6-2 victory over Paul Calo. Nielsen is now 17-2 on the season, and has won 11 of his last 12 bouts.
• Top-ranked 184-pounder Tanner Vassar (SR, Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) remained unbeaten in one of the most dramatic matches of the night, taking on No. 2-ranked Kyle Briggs of Wartburg. Vassar scored his second win of the season over Briggs, improving to 22-0 with a 3-1 victory. Trailing 1-0 after two periods, Vassar scored an escape with 1:38 left in the bout, then claimed a takedown with 1:06 left. The two losses to Vassar are Briggs' only losses of the year, as he fell to 20-2.
• Auggie reserve wrestlers kept the lead alive as the second half of the match began by holding Wartburg wrestlers to decisions -- Moses Madimba (FY, Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids HS) was edged 1-0 by Wartburg's No. 6-ranked Max Forsyth at 165, and Wyatt Richardson (SR, Grand Meadow, Minn./Grand Meadow HS) dropped an 8-2 decision to Wartburg's No. 4-ranked Kobe Woods at 197.
• Heavweight Tyler Kim (FY, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) was edged 3-2 by Wartburg's No. 9-ranked Jordan Brandon, and 125-pounder Justin Stauffacher (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Belle Plaine HS (Scott West)) dropped a 12-4 major decision to Wartburg's No. 8-ranked Brady Kyner at 125, setting the stage for the final two dramatic bouts of the match.
• At 133, Wartburg's top-ranked Kristian Rumph claimed his second win of the season over Augsburg's No. 2-ranked Victor Gliva (SR, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS), holding off a third-period rally by Gliva in an 8-6 win. Trailing 5-1 after two periods, Gliva scored an escape and a takedown to cut the advantage to 5-4 with 1:18 left, but Rumph scored an escape and a takedown with 41 seconds left, then held on following a Gliva escape and a stalling point in the closing seconds. Gliva is now 19-4 on the season.
• In the final bout of the night, No. 4-ranked Brady Fritz of Wartburg gained his second win of the year over Augsburg's No. 5-ranked David Flynn (SR, Jordan, Minn./Jordan HS (Scott West)), a 3-2 decision, with a Fritz takedown with a minute left in the third period proving to be the difference.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Wartburg now leads the all-time series with Augsburg 22-16, with wins in the last three meetings.
• The annual "Battle of the Burgs" dual meet features the two teams that have dominated Division III wrestling over the last three decades. Since 1995, every Division III national title has rested at either Augsburg or Wartburg, with defending national champion Augsburg winning 13 titles since 1991 and Wartburg winning 14 titles since 1996..
UP NEXT
• Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (2/8) at 10 a.m., competing at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Don Parker Open.
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